Rotatable car seat with detachable seat and top anchor

ABSTRACT

An accessory mount for use with a child safety seat having a base including a rotating mechanism for detachably connecting a seat shell for a child. The base enables rotation of the seat shell into forward-facing, rearward-facing, or side-facing configurations. The base also includes an upstanding backrest portion and is anchorable in the vehicle. The backrest portion includes a reinforcement structure disposed in an upper end that is engageable to a portion of the seat shell when the seat is forward-facing to reinforce the seat shell anchorage. The accessory mount includes an attachment base adapted to matingly engage a portion of the upstanding backrest portion when the seat shell is rearward-facing to allow, for example, a mirror to be attached providing a view of the infant occupant to a vehicle driver.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation in part application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 17/169,128, filed Feb. 5, 2021.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to child restraints adapted to be anchoredto a vehicle seat to transport a child in the vehicle, and moreparticularly, the to a child restraining seat including a swiveling seatportion, that is easily installable into a vehicle.

Safety seats in vehicles for children (car seats) are well-known in theart. Car seats are removable units that are secured to a selectedpassenger seat of a vehicle. Car seats are specially designed for thesmaller weight and size of a child, as compared to standard vehicleseats, which are designed to accommodate large youths and adults. Moststates have statutes requiring that children below certain age and/orweight limits be positioned in a rear-facing seat. Once the childreaches a certain weight and age a front-facing car seat may be used.

Prior-art car seats are designed to secure a child and limit movement ofthe child which can make it difficult to move the child into or fromsuch the seat. Car seats typically includes partially raised sides and afive-point seatbelt harness to secure the child to the car seat. Theraised sides of a forward-facing seat, however, make it necessary for anadult that is assisting the child into the seat to lift the child over aside of the seat and then place the child in the seat. Due to theconfined space in most passenger vehicles, the adult must remain outsidethe vehicle when lifting the child and installing the five-pointharness, causing the adult to bend and lean or reach into the vehicle.The same demands on the adult are required to remove the child from thecar seat.

Car seats used in front-facing orientations are required to bereinforced to withstand additional forces larger occupants place on therestraint harness during vehicle crashes. Some car seats are secured byattachments points near the seat base secured to LATCH anchors in thevehicle seat and a tether connected higher on the car seat back attachedto a tether anchor, typically positioned near the top of the vehicleseat back. Other car seats may eschew the tether and require additionalstructural reinforcement between the base and back to withstand crashloads imparted to the seat back through the child shoulder restraints.

A need exists for a car seat that allows a child to be placed into andremoved from a car seat without the need for an assisting adult tosubstantially lean inside the vehicle, or to lift the child over araised side of the car seat. A swiveling car seat provides such anapparatus, selectively swiveling between a forward-facing position and aside or door-facing position to enable a child to enter and/or exit theseat. Benefits are provided by a swiveling car seat that may be swiveledbetween a forward-facing orientation, a side-facing orientation, and arear-facing orientation. Additional advantages would be realized by aswiveling car seat that may be positioned to a side-facing orientationin either direction to allow seat installation on either side of avehicle. Still further advantages would be realized by a swiveling carseat in which the seat shell is removeable.

To provide a swiveling car seat capable of forward-facing use and ableto withstand crash loads from larger occupants, the swiveling car seatshould incorporate a means to reinforce the swiveling portion and allowthe seat back to be anchored to an upper tether mount of a three-pointoccupant restraint in the vehicle so that the functional features may beprovided in a design that meets applicable safety standards.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention, in any of the embodiments describedherein, may provide one or more of the following advantages:

It is an object of the present invention to provide a child safety seatfor use in a vehicle, the safety seat having a base including a rotatingmechanism and a seat shell for a child that is detachably connectable tothe base. The base is anchorable in the vehicle using eitherconventional safety belts or LATCH anchoring provisions. The seat shell,when connected to the base, may be rotated about a generally upstandingaxis into forward-facing, rearward-facing, or side-facingconfigurations.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a childsafety seat for use in a vehicle, the seat having a seat shell that isrotatable relative to the base, the base being secured to the vehicleusing both lap portion and shoulder portion of the vehicle safety beltsto retain the base to the vehicle and a connection between the seatshell and the base disposed adjacent to the upper backrest portion ofthe seat shell, the combination enabling the seat to be used with awider size range of children. The seat shell includes a backrest portionextending upwardly from a seating portion, the backrest portionincluding a retention member engageable with the base at a positionadjacent to the upper backrest portion of the shell, the base connectionwith the shoulder portion of the vehicle safety belt reinforcing theconnection with the vehicle when the seat shell is in the forward-facingconfiguration. The engagement of the backrest portion of the seat shellwith the shoulder belt reinforces the structure to which the child issecured and increases the rated weight limits for children to berestrained by the safety seat.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a childsafety seat for use in a vehicle having a based that is removablysecurable in a vehicle and a seat shell removably connectable to thebase. The seat shell may be swiveled about a generally upstanding axisand locked into forward-facing or rearward-facing positions. The seatshell may also be swiveled to side-facing positions to improve access tothe child when placing or removing the child from the safety seat. Theseat shell may be easily detached from the base. A release mechanismeasily operable by a user allows, when operated, the shell to be liftedfrom the base,

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a childsafety seat that is configurable to suit children of wide-ranging sizes.The swiveling seat shell permits the safety seat to be configured forrearward-facing use as is preferred for infants and forward-facing forlarger children. The seat shell is also provided with an adjustablebackrest with a convenient headrest height-adjusting mechanism. Theheight adjustment mechanism includes a moveable roll for the childshoulder harness to manage adjustment of the shoulder harness as thehead rest is adjusted between varying heights.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a childsafety seat having a base that may be secured in a vehicle using athree-point safety belt or LATCH connectors normally available in thevehicle and a seat portion removably attached to the base, the seatportion capable of swiveling in relation to a base allowingforward-facing, rearward-facing, and side facing configurations for usein a vehicle that is durable in construction, inexpensive ofmanufacture, carefree of maintenance, easily assembled, and simple andeffective to use.

These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the presentinvention by providing a child safety seat for use in a vehicle, thesafety seat having a base including a rotating mechanism and a seatshell for a child that is detachably connectable to the base. The baseis anchorable in the vehicle using either conventional safety belts orLATCH anchoring provisions. The base is configured to allow aconventional three-point occupant restraint to secure the base to thevehicle and to prevent interaction between the seat shell and therestraint belt. The seat shell, when connected to the base, may berotated about a generally upstanding axis into forward-facing,rearward-facing, or side-facing configurations. The base includes amoveable wedge that allows the base to optimally fit a variety ofvehicle seat having different seat cushion inclinations. The seat shellalso includes a height-adjustable backrest portion that allows the seatconfiguration to be optimized for the occupant, even as the occupantchild grows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The advantages of this invention will be apparent upon consideration ofthe following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the present childsafety seat invention as it would be installed in a vehicle wherein thechild seat orients the occupant in a forward-facing position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the child safety seat of FIG. whereinthe child seat orients the occupant in a rearward facing position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the child safety seat of FIG. whereinthe child seat is oriented side facing to improve access to the occupantfor positioning in or removing from the seat;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the base assembly detailing the connectorinterface;

FIG. 5 is a section view of a portion of the base assembly connectorinterface shown in FIG. 4 viewed along cut line 5-5;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the connector interface on the lower surfaceof the seat shell;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation view of the seat shell showing theconfiguration of the connector interface;

FIG. 8 is the partial section view of FIG. 5 showing a portion of thesecond retainer to illustrate the spatial relationship of the retainersin the connector interface when the seat shell is installed;

FIG. 9 is a partial view of the latching mechanism used to retain theseat shell attached to the base assembly viewed from beneath the seatshell;

FIG. 10 is a partial elevation view of the latching mechanism shown inFIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a partial reverse view of the latching mechanism of FIG. 9illustrating the biasing means;

FIG. 12. shows the connector with the second connector interface andlatching mechanism aligned for removal of the seat shell;

FIG. 13 is a partial perspective view of the base assembly detailing theblocking structure managing operation of the latching mechanism

FIGS. 14 and 15 provide detail views of the blocking structure and thelatching mechanism;

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate the base assembly features for securing thesafety seat to the vehicle;

FIGS. 18 through 20 illustrate seat back structural reinforcementbetween the seat shell and the base assembly backrest that reinforcesoccupant harness anchoring when the seat is oriented forward-facing;

FIGS. 21 and 22 illustrate the base assembly inclination adjustmentfeature;

FIG. 23 is a view of the interior space of the seat shell illustrating aheadrest adjustment provision;

FIGS. 24 through 26 provide a partial cutaway view of the mechanism forfixing the adjustable headrest into position;

FIGS. 27 and 28 are a partial view of the adjustable headrest in theseat shell and illustrate the features for managing slack length of theoccupant harness belts;

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an accessory mount connectible to thebase assembly when the seat is used in the rear-facing orientation;

FIG. 30 is an exploded partial elevation view illustrating the accessorymount, latching mechanism, and the base assembly seatback;

FIG. 31 is a partial view of the accessory mount showing the latchingmechanism in the latched configuration;

FIG. 32 is a partial view of the accessory mount showing the latchingmechanism in the unlatched configuration;

FIG. 33 is a partial view of the latching mechanism frame structure; and

FIGS. 34 and 35 provide a partial detail view of the latching mechanismshowing the interface between the actuator lever and sliding lock in theopen and closed positions, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Many of the fastening, connection, processes and other means andcomponents utilized in this invention are widely known and used in thefield of the invention described, and their exact nature or type is notnecessary for an understanding and use of the invention by a personskilled in the art, and they will not therefore be discussed insignificant detail. Also, any reference herein to the terms “up” or“down,” or “top” or “bottom” are used as a matter of mere convenienceand are determined as the seat would normally be positioned on a surfaceor vehicle seat. Furthermore, the various components shown or describedherein for any specific application of this invention can be varied oraltered as anticipated by this invention and the practice of a specificapplication of any element may already be widely known or used in theart by persons skilled in the art and each will likewise not thereforebe discussed in significant detail. When referring to the figures, likeparts are numbered the same in all figures.

Referring to the figures, a child safety seat 1 embodying the presentinventions comprises a base assembly 10 configured to be positioned andsecured on the seating surface 3 a of a vehicle seat 3 using the seatbelt 7 installed in the vehicle. Alternatively, the base assembly 10 maybe secured to the vehicle seat using Lower Anchors and Tethers forChildren (LATCH) provisions that may be present in the vehicle. The baseassembly 10 includes a base portion 12 for positioning in the vehicle tosupport the seat shell 30 of the child safety seat. A backrest portion16 extends upwardly from the base portion 12 and, when installed in avehicle seat 3, is in adjacent contact with the backrest surface 3 b ofthe vehicle seat. The base portion 12 further includes a wedge adjuster14 which allows the base assembly 10 to be configured to securely fitinto a variety of vehicle seats of different inclinations of the seatingsurface 3 a to assure simultaneous adjacent contact by the base assembly10 with both the seating surface 3 a and the backrest surface 3 b.

The base assembly 10 may be secured to the vehicle seat 3 using thesafety belt 7 typically installed in vehicles. The exemplar vehiclesafety belt 7 is a three-point occupant restraint that crosses anoccupant's lap and again across the occupant's chest, The base assembly10 may also include provisions for connection with LATCH anchorstypically available in passenger vehicles.

A seat shell 30 is moveably connected to the base assembly 10 andincludes an interior space 32 defining a seating surface 32 a and abackrest surface 32 b configured to receive a child occupant. Theconnection between the base assembly 10 and the seat shell 30 enablesthe seat shell to be selectively positioned between a forward-facingorientation (FIG. 1) suitable for larger child occupants, arearward-facing orientation (FIG, 2) suitable for infant occupants, anda side-facing orientation (FIG. 3) which improves access to the seatshell for positioning into or removing from the seat shell an occupant.The seat shell 30 may be oriented to face either side in the side-facingorientation to enable realization of the benefits of the safety seatwhen installed on either side of a vehicle.

In a first aspect of the invention, a connector 20 is provided toselectively attach the seat shell 30 to the base assembly 10 in a mannerallowing the seat shell to swivel 360 degrees about a generallyupstanding rotational axis 100. The connection also allows the seatshell 30 to be fixedly aligned in one or more predeterminedorientations, including at least forward-facing and rearward-facingorientations of the seat shell. The connector 20 also allows the seatshell 30 to selectively be detached from the base assembly 10. The seatshell is detached from the base by positioning the shell in one of thetwo side facing orientations and actuating a release mechanism to permitthe shell to be lifted in the direction of the rotational axis 100 andseparated from the base when in such orientation.

Referring specifically to FIGS. 4 through 8, the connector 20 comprisesa generally circular first interface portion 40 in the base assembly 10,the first interface portion comprising a pair of first retainers 42 anda first lateral bearing portion 44 symmetrically arranged about therotational axis 100. The first lateral bearing portion 44 is defined bya wall arranged on a circular perimeter upwardly projecting from a floorsurface 45. The first retainers 42 project inwardly from the firstlateral bearing surface 44 and include a first vertical bearing surface424 which is generally parallel to and spaced apart from the floorsurface 45 forming a base channel 43 therebetween that extends partiallyaround the periphery of the lateral bearing portion 44. The firstretainers 42 may also include an inwardly sloped upward facing surface422 to aid guidance of the seat shell into the connector 20. The firstretainers 42 are symmetrically arranged arcuately about a portion of thefirst lateral bearing surface 44. In the preferred exemplar embodiment,two first retainers 42 are provided and symmetrically positioned aboutthe circular perimeter, each spanning a first retainer sector 47. A pairof first gap sectors 49 is defined along the circular perimeter of thelateral bearing portion between the first retainers 42. The measure ofthe gap sectors is greater than the measure of the first retainers.

Connector 20 also comprises a generally circular second interfaceportion 50 disposed on the lower exterior surface 31 of the seat shell30 also symmetrically arranged about the rotational axis 100. Thediameter of the second interface portion 50 is sized to enable it tonest within the first interface portion 40. The second interface portion50 includes a pair of second retainers 52 that extend radiallyoutwardly. Each of the second retainers 52 include a second lateralbearing surface 54 and a second vertical bearing surface 524. Secondretainers are symmetrically arranged about a portion of the periphery ofthe second connector interface 50, the second lateral bearing surfaces54 defining a circular perimeter having a diameter that is slightly lessthan that of the first lateral bearing surface 44, When the seat shell30 is engaged with the base 10, the second retainer 52 is positioned inthe base channel 43 such that the second lateral bearing surface 54 ispositioned adjacent to and in sliding contact with the first lateralbearing surface 44 in the base channel 43 in a manner which defines arotational center for the seat shell coinciding with rotational axis100. The first and second vertical bearing surfaces 424, 524 may also bein sliding contact dependent upon the rotational orientation of the seatshell 30. Small gaps between the lateral bearing surfaces may existwithin the defined sliding contact, but sufficient contact exists in theentirety of the interface to constrain the seat shell rotation to thatgenerally about the rotational axis 100. In the exemplar embodiment, twosecond retainers 52 are provided and symmetrically positioned about theperiphery of the second connector interface, each spanning a secondretainer sector 57. A pair of second gap sectors 59 is defined along thecircular perimeter of the lateral bearing portion between the secondretainers 52. The measure of the second gap sectors is greater than themeasure of the second interface portions.

The actual measure of first and second retainer sectors 47, 57 and firstand second gap sectors 49, 59 may be varied provided that the measure ofthe gap sectors 49, 59 is greater than the measure of the retainersectors 47, 57. The connector interfaces may also vary in the number ofretainers and gap sectors provided the number of gap sectors equals orexceeds the number of retainers and the gap sectors are greater inmeasure than the retainer sectors. The symmetric pairs are preferred topermit two possible alignments of the seat shell for detachment from thebase corresponding to a side-facing orientation of the seat shell ineither direction.

The first and second retainers are structurally reinforced to withstandthe forces created during vehicle crashes and retain the seat shellattached to the base. Surfaces in sliding contact such as first lateralbearing portion 44, second lateral bearing surface 54, first verticalbearing surface 424, and second vertical bearing surface 524 may includea friction-reducing covering to improve quality of movement of the seatshell.

The connection of the seat shell 30 to the base assembly 10 isaccomplished by orienting the seat shell 30 to a side facingorientation. In this configuration, the second retainers 52 are alignedwith the arcuate gap sectors 49, 59 between the two first retainers 42on the base assembly. The measure of the gap sectors 49, 59 is greaterthan the measure of the retainer sectors 47, 57 which assures that thesecond retainers 52 may move through the open space of the first gapsectors 47 and that the first retainers 42 may move through the openspace of the second gap sectors 57 when the seat shell is properlyaligned. The configuration allows the seat shell 30 to be lowered inrelation to the base assembly 10, generally in the direction ofrotational axis 100 until the first and second retainers 42, 52 aregenerally adjacent. Rotating the seat shell 30 engages the respectiveretainers 42, 52 in an overlapping arrangement that inhibits substantialupward movement of the shell and constrains the seat shell to rotationalmovement. By configuring the first and second retainers 42, 52 to spanarcuate sectors that measure less than the open gap sectors 49, 59, theretainers 42, 52 may be disengaged by aligning the second retainers 52on the shell 30 with the gap space 49 on the base assembly 10 whichcoincidentally aligns the first retainers 42 on the base with gapsectors 59 on the seat shell.

The generally circular configuration and the spatial configuration ofthe overlapping interface of the respective retainers and bearingsurfaces preclude significant vertical displacement and limit relativemotion between the seat shell and base to rotational when the seat shellis engaged with the base.

The base assembly 10 may further include a generally circular supporttrack 48 positioned adjacent to the periphery of the first interfaceportion 40. The seat shell 30 may include a plurality of support wheels56 circularly arranged so that the wheels engage the circular track 48when the seat shell is connected to the base assembly. The supportwheels 56 bear the weight of the seat and occupant and allow the seatshell 30 to be more easily swiveled (rotated) in relation to the baseassembly and stabilize the connection. The circular track 48 may also beconfigured to constrain the movement of the support wheels 56 andfurther contribute to limiting motion of the seat shell to rotational.Alternative designs providing friction-reducing bearings and the likeare contemplated in lieu of the support wheels.

A latching mechanism 90 comprising a pair of moveable latch members 92disposed in the second interface portion 50 of the seat shell 30precludes inadvertent separation of the seat shell 30 from the baseassembly 10 when operably attached. Movement of the latch members 92 iscoordinated for simultaneous movement by a link member 94 (FIGS. 9-11)which is pivotally connected to the second interface portion 50;movement of the latch members is linked for simultaneous movementinwardly toward a release position or outwardly toward a latchedposition. The latch members may be slidably connected to arms 95 whereinone or more resilient members 96 may be used to bias the latch members92 toward the outwardly displaced latched position to allow seat shellattachment to the base while minimizing movement of the latchingmechanism release. Movement of the latch members 92 inwardly toward therelease position is operably effected by a user operating one or bothlatch release handles 38 conveniently disposed on the seat shell andoperably connected to the latching mechanism by a pull cable 99 orlinkage.

Alternatively, the latching mechanism may be disposed on the baseassembly and a releasing mechanism disposed either on the base assemblyor on the seat shell to provide the same functionality.

The latch members 92 are preferably oriented laterally in relation tothe seat shell. Each of the latch members 92 includes a tapered end 922.Each first retainer 42 in the base assembly 10 includes a notch-likeguide structure 425 in the retainer which is configured to engage thelatch members while allowing the latch members 92 to pass from above tobelow the first retainer 42 as the seat shell 30 is lowered onto thebase assembly during seat shell attachment. The guide structures 425 arepreferably disposed longitudinally in relation to the seat shell andbase assembly so that the latch members 92 will be aligned therewithwhen the seat shell is in a side-facing orientation. The guide structure425 and the tapered ends 922 are tapered in a complimentary arrangementthat reduces friction and reduces the inward displacement of the latchmembers necessary to permit them to pass beneath the first retainer 42as the seat shell is lowered into attachment with the base assembly.

The latch members 92 also secure the seat shell rotationally to ineither the forward- or rear-facing orientations. A pair of lockingrecesses 46 are provided in the first lateral bearing surface 44 and aresized to receive the latch members 92 when outwardly displaced. Thelocking recesses 46 are positioned along transverse axis 103 so that thelatch members are similarly aligned only when the seat shell 30 in inthe either the forward- or rear-facing orientations. When so positioned,the latch members extend outwardly into the locking recesses 46 toprevent rotation of the seat shell 30 unless the latch release handles38 are operated to withdraw the latch members.

Inadvertent release of the latching mechanism 90 and thereby inadvertentseparation of the seat shell 30 from the base assembly is prevented by atwo-step releasing procedure. Referring to FIGS. 13 through 15, the baseassembly includes a blocking structure 120 that projects upwardly fromthe floor surface 45 of the base assembly 10. The blocking structure 120is circularly configured and disposed inwardly concentric to the wallstructure of the first lateral bearing portion 44 and generallycontinuous excepting a pair of openings 122, 123 positioned along afore-aft axis 102 of the base assembly 10. A movable blocking tab 124 isprovided in the forward opening 123 allowing movement between positionsblocking (FIG. 14) or unblocking (FIG. 15) the opening 123. The latchmembers 92 include a blocking extension 924 which are positionedradially outwardly and adjacent to the blocking structure when the seatshell 30 is attached to the base assembly 10. The blocking tab 124prevents unlatching movement of the latch member 92 by blocking inwardmovement in the direction “A” (FIG. 14) when in the blocking position.When the blocking structure 124 is moved to the unblocking position, theblocking extension 924 may freely pass through the foremost opening 123in the blocking structure 120 so that the latch member 92 may disengagethe first retainer 42. The fore-aft positioning of the openings 122, 123coincides with the position of the latch members 92 when the seat shell30 is oriented in either side-facing configuration. It also aligns thelatch members with the guide structures 425 which have an innercircumference greater than that of the first retainer 42 to reduce thedisplacement of the latch members 92 necessary to disengage the seatshell. The interlocking relationship of the latch members allowsblocking of either latch member to prevent inward (unlatching) movementof either.

An unlatching actuator 126 is operably connected to the blocking tab124. The blocking tab 124 is biased toward the blocked position;depressing the unlatching actuator 126 moved the blocking tab to theunblocking position. A ratcheting actuator 128 is provided to retain theunlatching actuator in the depressed position. Without operating theratcheting actuator 128, a user must depress and hold the unlatchingactuator 126 in order to detach the seat shell from the base assembly. Acam 98 is provided on the seat shell and configured to align with anddepress the ratchet actuator only when the seat shell is properlyaligned for detachment.

Further contributing to safety are indicator flags 132 disposed on thebase assembly where they are easily viewed by a user. Alignment of theseat shell 30 in either the forward-facing or rearward-facingorientation positions the latch members 92 along transverse axis 103 andaligns them with locking recesses 46. Inwardly biased position sensors134 are located in each of the locking recesses 46. Contact with thesensors 134 by the latching members 92 as they engage the locking recessdisplaces the position sensors 134 and causes the indicator flags tochange state. Colors such as red or green or wording such as safe orunsafe may be displayed on the indicator flag indicating the state ofthe seat. As the safety seat is rated for occupancy in the forward- orrear-facing orientations, alignment of the seat shell in either of theseorientations changes the state of the indicator flags 13 to indicatethat the seat is correctly oriented for use.

The base assembly 10 may be secured to the vehicle using the vehicle'sconventional shoulder-lap (3-point) restraint that is engaged by thebase assembly to retain the base assembly in a substantially fixedposition in the vehicle seat. The base assembly 10 is provided with aback panel 152 which is disposed on the backrest portion 16 and moveablebetween a restraining position (FIG. 16) and a releasing position (FIG.17). Moving the back panel 152 to the releasing position provides accessto an interior cavity 154 of the backrest portion 16 through which thelap and shoulder portions of the vehicle safety belt 7 may pass. The lapbelt portion engages lower guides 155 as it passes across the backrestportion 16, the guides being configured to maintain a desired positionof the lap belt in relation to the base assembly 10. The shoulder beltportion is restrained by an upper guide 156. An upper guide 156 isprovided on each side of the backrest portion 16 to allow the baseassembly to be installed on either side of the vehicle. When the belt 7is positioned in the upper and lower guides and tensioned using theconventional means present in the vehicle, moving the back panel 152 tothe restraining position pushes the belt into the interior cavity 154,convoluting the belt 7 adjacent to the periphery of the back panel tofurther reduce slack in the belt and assure a secure attachment of thebase assembly 10 to the vehicle. A releasing actuator 157 is provided toenable selective release of the back panel and removal of the baseassembly from the vehicle.

The back panel 152 also prevents entanglement of the safety belt 7 bythe seat shell 30 as it moves/swivels on the base. The safety belt 7remains generally hidden from view of the infant when the seat shell isoriented rear-facing and thus does not pose a risk that the infant'sfeet could become entangled in the belt.

Securing the backrest portion 16 of the base assembly 10 to the vehicleallows the backrest surface 32 b of the seat shell 30 to be structurallyanchored to the vehicle thereby increasing the capability of the seat. Acapture means comprising a reinforced receiving slot 82 provided in thetop of the backrest portion 16 is configured to receive a reinforcedtongue 84 provided on the exterior of the seat shell 30 proximate thedistal end of the backrest surface. The reinforced tongue 84 is integralto the seat shell and rotates therewith. As the seat shell is rotatedinto the forward-facing orientation, the tongue 84 engages the receivingslot 82, structurally linking the backrest portion 16 and the upper backportion of the seat shell 30. The configuration of the receiving slot 82provides other utility such as the connection of a mounting bracket,such as would be useful for mounting a mirror to allow a caregiveroperating the vehicle to view the infant occupant when the seat shell isin the rear-facing orientation. Other useful features may also beprovided for attachment to the safety seat using the receiving slotwithin the scope of the invention.

Referring to FIGS. 29 through 34, one example accessory mounting bracket160 is shown. Accessory mount 160 provides for connecting an accessoryto the backrest portion 16 of the base assembly 10 when the seat shell30 is rotated into the rear-facing orientation. Accessory mount 160comprises an attachment base 162 that is configured to be matinglycoupled to an uppermost portion of the backrest portion 16 of the baseassembly. The coupling engagement between the attachment base and thebackrest is configured to minimize relative movement in the fore-aft andside-to-side directions.

The accessory mount is provided with a latching mechanism 170 configuredto selectively engage the receiving slot 82 on the backrest and securethe accessory mount 160 to the base assembly. The accessory mountlatching mechanism includes a lock frame 172 supporting a moveablelocking member 174 that is bi-directionally moveable by an actuatorlever 176 between opposing locked (FIG. 31) and unlocked positions (FIG.32) corresponding to dosed and open positions, respectively, of theactuator lever. Lock frame 172 includes an axle 178 pivotally couplingactuator lever 176 to the frame and a guide structure 179, 180 whichguides movement of the locking member to sliding bi-directionallyrelative to the frame, and lever guide surfaces 181, 182. Actuator lever176 is disposed withing lever guide surfaces 181, 182 and rotatablyconnected to the lock frame and configured for rotation about axle 178between the dosed and open positions. The degree of actuator rotation ispreferably approximately 90 degrees, corresponding to a quarter-turn ofthe actuator lever.

Locking member 174 includes a hook-like retainer 1742 with an inclinedsurface 1744 that is oriented to engage receiving slot 82 on the baseassembly backrest when the accessory mount is positioned thereon and thelatching mechanism moved into the latched position. As locking member174 moves from the unlatched position toward the latched position,inclined surface 1744 contacts a lower edge 83 of receiving slot 82.Continued sliding movement of locking member 174 toward the latchedposition pulls the accessory mount toward the backrest as the contactpoint of the edge shifts along the inclined surface, urging the lockframe downwardly toward the backrest and thereby increases the stabilityand rigidity of the mount connection with the base assembly.

Referring to FIGS. 34 and 35, actuator lever 176 further includes a cam183 configured for synchronous rotation with the lever. The cam 183 witha lobe 1832 engages a driving profile 184 to convert rotational movementof the lever into sliding movement of the locking member. Cam lobe 1832is positioned in sliding contact with the driving profile 184. Movingthe lever 176 toward the open position rotates the cam so that lobe isin contact with a first position 1842 of the profile which shifts thelocking member from the unlatched toward the latched position. As thecam rotates, lobe 1832 slides along the driving profile 184(counterclockwise as illustrated) toward a second position 1844 andurges the locking member toward the locked position. The ratio oflocking member displacement to cam rotation in approximately the firsthalf of the lever rotation is relatively high which rapidly shifts thelocking member initially. Continued cam rotation reduces the ratio oflocking member displacement to actuator rotation so that locking memberdisplacement is lessened relative to the degree of continued actuatorrotation. This portion of the motion corresponds to the engagement ofthe inclined surface with lower edge 83, increasing the clamping forcebetween the accessory mount and the backrest portion. The reducedactuation ratio prevents a dramatic increase in the force a user mustapply to fully latch the mechanism. The final portion of the lobemovement along the driving profile 184 slightly reverses the ratio oflink displacement to cam rotation, slightly relaxing the slidingmovement of the wedge link thereby creating a slight over-centercondition to aid in maintaining the lever in the latched position.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 21-22, the base assembly 10 further includes awedge adjuster 14 disposed on the base portion 12 which allows the baseassembly 10 to be configured to securely fit into a variety of vehicleseats of different inclinations of the seating surface 3 a to assuresimultaneous adjacent contact by the base assembly 10 with both theseating surface 3 a and the backrest surface 3 b and ideal positioningof the base assembly. Typical vehicle rear seat surfaces are angled in arange of 2 degrees to 17 degrees rearward. The preferred orientation ofthe base assembly positions the rotational axis 100 approximately 4degrees forward tilt from vertical. Wedge adjuster 14 is moveablyconnected to the base assembly 10 by a curved track including apositioning rack and a follower. Movement ranges between a maximuminclination (FIG. 21) to a minimum inclination (FIG. 22) encompassingapproximately 15 degrees of inclination change between the twopositions. A positioning actuator 144 located on the floor surface 45 ofthe base assembly allows selective disengagement of the followermechanism from the positioning rack which in turn allows the wedgeadjuster 14 to move along the curved track thereby changing the angle ofits bottom surface 149 with respect to the base assembly 10. Oncepositioned, the user releases the actuator 144 to lock the wedgeadjuster in a fixed position. Inclination indicators 142 may be providedon the base assembly to assist the use in properly orienting the baseassembly 10 for installation on the vehicle seat. Other mechanisms maybe easily incorporated to moveably connect the wedge adjuster to thebase assembly in a manner accomplishing the same objective.

Referring now to FIGS. 23 through 26, the seat shell 30 may furthercomprise a head restraint 60 that is vertically moveable generally alongthe plane of the backrest portion 16, indicated by directional arrow “H”in FIG. 23. A headrest release mechanism may comprise a release handle62 operably connected to an actuator cam 64 which adjusts the positionof a pair of cam-locks 65, 66 which are engageable against a fixedanchor strap 69 disposed in the backrest portion 16. The cam-locks 65,66 are oriented so that they are self-energized in opposite directions.The release actuator cam 64 is configured so that linear movement of therelease handle in either direction from a neutral (engaged) positiondisplaces the cam-locks 65, 66 from engagement with the anchor strapwebbing and allows movement of the headrest.

The release mechanism is further operable to allow headrest adjustmentby pushing or pulling an actuator from a neutral position. In this way,the desired direction of movement of the headrest (raising or lowering)may coincide with the direction the release handle 62 is moved to enableheadrest movement making headrest adjustment more intuitive. This isbest illustrated in in FIGS. 25 and 26. In FIG. 25, the release handle62 has been moved down, indicated by directional arrow “L”, typical whenthe use wants to lower the head restraint 60. In FIG. 26, handle 62 hasbeen raised, indicated by direction arrow “R”, as would be typical for auser wanting to raise the head restraint 60.

The release mechanism is further configured to be low profile so thatthe “thickness” of the seat shell 30 back in which the adjustingmechanism is disposed may be maintained sufficiently thin to maintainthe position of the seat shell sufficiently close to the vehicle seatback to minimize head and/or knee excursions during accidents and keepthem within prescribed limits.

The adjustable head restraint 60 may also include a harness adjustermeans 70 to provide desired slack in the infant harness belts 80 forconvenience when securing infants in the seat while also accommodating awider range of occupant sizes afforded by the adjustable headrest. Thebackrest surface 32 b includes a guide track 72 for a moveable harnessanchor member 74. The guide track 72 limits movement of the anchormember to bi-directional along an axis generally aligned with the planeof the seat back and limits the extent of the anchor member movement,The harness belts 80 are routed from beneath the interior space 32 ofthe seat and extend along the backrest portion to a pair of guides 76disposed on the anchor member 74. The harness belts 80 are wrappedaround the guides 76 and turned 180 degrees and directed back down alongthe seat back, but forward of the initial upward run, before beingrouted through openings in the headrest into the interior space 32 ofthe seat. This arrangement applies a downward force on the anchor memberthat generally maintains the member at the lowest (most downward)position permitted.

Upward-downward movement of the anchor member 74 is synchronized withupward downward movement of the headrest 60. The anchor member 74includes one or more followers engaging elongate slots 78 on theheadrest 60. The slots 78 are aligned generally with the axis ofheadrest movement. As the headrest 60 moves upwardly (FIG. 27), thefollowers contact the lowest extent of the slots 78 establishing aminimum belt take-up distance between the guides 76 and the headrestopenings for the belt entrance into the shell interior space. Furtherupward movement of the headrest 60 moves the anchor member 74 upwardlythereby shifting the vertical position of the guides 76 to manageavailable slack in the harness belts 80 while maintain spacing betweenguides 76 and the headrest openings for the belt entrance into the shellinterior space.

As the headrest is moved downwardly (FIG. 28), the anchor member 74contacts a stop structure 79 positioned in the guide track 72. The stopstructure 79 limits the rage of downward movement of the anchorstructure 74. As the headrest 60 continues downward movement, the anchormember 74 remains stationary, shifting the followers upward in the slots78. The slots 78 are configured to allow the headrest 60 to continuemoving toward its lowest position after them the anchor member hascontacted stop structure 79. This downward movement of the headrest inrelation to the anchor member 74 increases the spacing between theguides 76 and the headrest openings for the belt entrance into the shellinterior space. This increased spacing thus increases the length of theharness belts 80 within the seat shell structure to manage the slack inthe seat shell itself. The benefit is that the harness belt length maybe made long enough for convenience when the seat is used by largeroccupants while taking in excess slack when the seat is adjusted for usewith smaller occupants.

Naturally, the invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments,but it can also be modified in many ways without departing from thebasic concepts. Changes in the details, materials, steps andarrangements of parts which have been described and illustrated toexplain the nature of the invention will occur to and may be made bythose skilled in the art upon a reading of this disclosure within theprinciples and scope of the invention. The foregoing descriptionillustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention; however,concepts, as based upon the description, may be employed in otherembodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:
 1. An accessorymount for use with a child safety seat, the seat having a base structureconfigured to be securable to a seat in a vehicle and having an upwardlyextending backrest portion, the backrest portion including an upper endhaving a rearwardly opening receiver structure with an edge configuredto be overlappingly engaged by a tang disposed on a distal end of a seatshell attached to the base structure, the tang engaging the receivingopening when the seat shell is rotatably positioned in a forward-facingorientation, the accessory mount comprising: an attachment baseconfigured to matingly engage the upper end of the backrest portion whenthe seat shell is not in the forward-facing orientation; a lockingmember bi-directionally moveable between opposing locked and releasedpositions; and a lever moveable between closed and open positions andoperably connected to the locking member to effect movement between thelocked and released positions, respectively, movement toward the lockedposition when the attachment base is engaged with the upper end to urgethe locking member into a restraining engagement with the receivingopening edge and secure the accessory mount to the backrest portion. 2.The accessory mount of claim 1, wherein the attachment base engagementwith the portion of the upper end prevents substantial movement of theattachment base in a fore-aft direction relative to the upper end. 3.The accessory mount of claim 2, wherein the attachment base furthercomprises a lock frame with a rotation guide and a guide structure, thelever rotatably connected to the lock frame and configured for rotationabout the rotation guide, the guide structure guiding movement of thelocking member in a bi-directional sliding motion relative to the guidestructure.
 4. The accessory mount of claim 3, wherein the locking memberfurther includes a retainer having with an inclined surface engageablewith the edge of the receiving structure as the locking member is movedtoward the locked position while the accessory mount is matingly engagedwith the upper end, continuing movement of the locking member toward thelocked position increasing a damping force between the accessory mountand the upper end as the inclined surface moves in contact with theedge.
 5. The accessory mount of claim 3, wherein the lever furthercomprises a cam configured for synchronous rotation with the lever, andthe locking member further comprises a follower profile positioned inadjacent contact with the cam, the cam and follower profile beingcontoured to cause sliding movement of the locking member responsive torotation of the lever.
 6. The accessory mount of claim 5, wherein thecam and follower profile are configured to vary a ratio of lockingmember linear movement to lever rotational movement as the lever ismoved between open and dosed positions.
 7. The accessory mount of claim6, wherein variation of the ratio of locking member linear movement tolever rotational movement reverses when the lever is dosed to cause anover-center retention force of the lever in the dosed position.
 8. Theaccessory mount of claim 1, further comprising an accessory attached tothe attachment base.
 9. The accessory mount of claim 7, wherein theaccessory is a mirror configured to provide enable viewing of arear-facing occupant seat occupant from a forward vantage.
 10. Anaccessory mount for a base assembly for removably mounting a rear-facingchild safety seat in a vehicle, the base assembly having an upstandingbackrest with a latching edge, the accessory mount comprising: anattachment base configured to engage an upper portion of the backrestand support an accessory; and a latching mechanism having a linkmoveable between opposing locked and released positions, the linkengaging the latching edge when moved toward the locked position toretain the accessory mount coupled to the backrest, and disengaging thelatching edge when moved to the released position allowing the accessorymount to be decoupled from the backrest.
 11. The accessory mount ofclaim 10, further comprising a lever operably connected to the moveablelink to effect movement between the locked and released positions. 12.The accessory mount of claim 11, wherein the lever is rotatably coupledto the latching mechanism for rotation between open and closed positionscorresponding to locked and released positions of the link,respectively, the lever further including a cam attached for rotationtherewith, the cam engaging a driving profile on the link to move thelink responsive to rotation of the lever.
 13. The accessory mount ofclaim 12, wherein the cam radially engages driving profile in a mannerincreasing mechanical advantage as the lever is moved toward the closedposition.
 14. The accessory mount of claim 13, wherein the drivingprofile includes an over center profile zone engaged by the cam when thelever is in the closed position configured to bias the lever in theclosed position.
 15. The accessory mount of claim 10, wherein theaccessory is a mirror configured to provide enable viewing of arear-facing occupant seat occupant from a forward vantage.